Defective-needle detector for knitting-machines.



NEEDLE DECTGR FR KNITTING MACHINES.

Patented Jain. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET APPUCATEGH HLED MAR.10,1916.

@y H112: Aff/fo r. APPLHGN. EFECUVE NEEDLE DETECYOR FOR KNITUNG MACHiNES.

APPLICATON FILED MAR.1019\6.

also on a larger scale;

FRAN K APPLETON,

OF PHILADELPHA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 SCOTT 5r, WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, A CORPGRATION QF MASSACHUSETTS.

DEFECTIVE-NEEDLE DETECTOR FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 10, 1916. Serial No. 83,252.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK ArrLE'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Defective-Needle Detectors for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of my invention is to provide a knitting machine with alarm and stop mechanism or either of them, which will operate whenever a needle is, because of a broken butt, latch, or other defect, prevented from ducing function.

This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa side elevation of sutiicient of a knitting machine to illustrate my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. top view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of part of the machine on a larger scale than Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line b-, Fig. 3, but on a larger scale; 4

Fig. 5 is a section on the line aka, Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to part of Fig. 5, but showing some of the parts in a fliiferent position from that there represented;

Fig. 7 is a face view of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrow ig. 8 isa View similar' to part of Fig. 3, but illustrating some of the elements of the machine in a different position from that there represented, andA i Figs. 9 and 10 are viewsillusti-ating needle defects such as would cause the operation of the mechanism which il have devised.

Referring in the rst instance to Figs. 8,

4 and 8 of the drawings, l represent, the

usual latch needles of the machine and 2 a series of web holders which alternate with the needles and engage the sinker wales of the last Iformed course of stitches so as to prevent rise of said stitches with the needles.

S0 long as the needles are functioning properly the web holders (except at the properly performing its stitch pro- `weh holders `a notch 12 in a holt ing function the knitting yarn will, usually for a number of successive courses, he laid across the face of the defective needle between the stitches flanking the same, as

shown in Fig. 8, and when the knitting yarn is thus disposed the effect Will be toa push hack, as shown in Fig. 8,1A the web holders engaged thereby, the Cami-which controls the web holders having a break orv depressed portion as shown, 4 and 8, this depressed portion being in line with certain control mechanism to be latery described. Normally the butts of the web 'holders will travel across this gap in the cam without outward movement, but when hunched yarn tends to force a weh holder outwardly such movement will occur at this point. I therefore constitute said Web holders the primary lelement of the alarm and stop mechanisms shown in Figs. l, 2, 5, 6 and 7, and which is as follows:

Mounted upon one of the stationary elements of the machine so as to he susceptible of radial sliding movement thereon is a for instance at in Figs.

plate a, and, as the web holders rotate with the needle cylinder,l or otherwise move with the needle carrier of the machine, the front edge of this plate occupies a position 1n 'contact with cr in close proximity to a shoulder 3 on the hack of cach web holder when said are in the advanced or projected position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. If, therefore, one or more of the weh holders is ushed outward as shown in Fie. 8 it will when its shoulder 3 comes into contact with lthe forward edge of the plate 4, push the latter outwardly, and this outward movement of the plate 4 is caused to effect theoperation of the alarm and stop mechanisms.

The outer end of the slide 4 is notched for the reception of the upwardly projecting arm 5 of a curved lever 'which is secured to a Swinging yoke 7 pivotally mounted upon the same member of the machine as the slide el, the lower arm 8 of said lever 6 bearing upon a pin 9, which is carried by one member of a yoke 10, whose opposite member is secured to a rock shaft 11 mounted in suitable bearings on the fixed frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2, .the connecting member of said yoke l0 normally engaging 13, suitably guided on the fixed frame, and serving to retain said bolt in the retracted position shown in Figs.

` funtil normal '.50 resumed.

"1 and 2, a sprin 14 connected at one end to Side by'side on the driving shaft of the machine are three pulleys 17 18 and 19, the pulley 17 being secured to the shaft, but the pulleys 18 and 19 beingfree to turn thereon, said pulley -19 being the ordinary loose pulley 'but the pulley -18 normally receiving the driving belt and having continuous rotatin @notion imparted thereto. l y

' On t e left hand face ofv the pulley 18 with the lug 20 on the pulley 18, the-latter therefore imparting rotating movement to the pulley 17 v Secured to the arm 21, however, and projecting outwardly throughfa notch 25 inthe rim'o'f the pulleyv 18, is a fingerI 26, and, when the bolt 13 is projected to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, said linger will, as it is canried around bythe pulley 17, strike said bolt 13, thereby causing the arm 21 to swing inwardly from the position shown by full lines in F ig. 7 to that shown by .dotted lines in said figure, the arm being 'held in the latterposition by frictional engagement with an elastic retaining linger 27 onthe web of the pulleyT 17.

When `the arm 2l is swung inwardly it vcarries the pin 23 out of the path of the lug 20 on the pulley 18 as shown in Fig. 6, consequently the rotation of the pulley 17 and the drivingshaft of the machine will be at once .arrested and will not be again resumed until the arm 21 is restored to the Ajposition shownhy full lines .in Fig. 7, and the bolt 13 has been again retracted and held 'in such retracted with the a 10, 'and this cannot be done knitting conditions have been lodi- On'the lframe ofthe machine is mounted La fgongforV other "form of bell30 `andpivl''otallymounted on the framead}aceiit t'o said gn'g'` is af'lev'eryhaving arms 31 and 33, the

' y55 arm einaviagyayhammef sa for Striking the gong when said :n115131 is swung ,toward #the same by contact of the arm 33 lever witha pin 34 on the bolt'13 when the latter A is movingV into 'position clutch releasing finger 26.

'shaft 11 as for operating in-connection with a defective' (which is adjacent to the pulley 17) is a pro.

projects through a slot 24 in the' dinary operation of the machine, contacts position by engagement to engage the At all other times a spring 35 tends to hold the arm 31 in retracted Vwith a stop pin36. I 1 and 2 I have shown the-rock ln Figs.

provided with another arm 37 position in contact yarn detector, but further reference thereto in this specication will be unnecessary, as

this particular feature of my invention con; -stitutes the subject of a separate application for patent which l have led. i

Although l have described my invention as combining both alarm mechanism and` stop mecha-nismeither of these can be used to the lexclusion of theother, if desired.

When the alarm mechanism only is employed the' stoppage of the machine can', on

` the sounding of the alarm, be effected either by manual 'operation' of the bolt 13 or by shift-ing thedriving 18 to the' pulley 19. f

'l claim:

belt from the pulley 1. In a knitting machine, the combinationof the needlesand web holders, a member mounted so as to engage displaced web holders,

.to release said retainer.

2. ln a knitting machine, the combination a clutch releasing member, meansv for moving the same into releasing position,

movement of of the needles and web holders, a slide engaging displaced web holders, a clutch releasing member, means for moving the lat er into releasin position, a retainer for holding it out o such releasing position, and av pivoted leven` interposed between said-retainer and the slide and serving to trans? mit movement of said slide to said retainer.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination of the needles .and web holders, a member mounted so as to engage with displaced web holders, an alarm gong, a hammer lever coperating t erewith, a lever engagingV member, means for moving the vsame into engagement with said lever, al retainer for `holding it out of such engagement, and

means interposed between said retainer and said web holder engaging member whereby movement of the latter is caused torelease the retainer. f

In testimony' whereof I have signed my4 name to this `specification, in the presence of two subscribif'ig witnesses. 

